The use of coarse, separable, condensed-phase organic carbon particles to characterize desorption resistance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in contaminated sediments

Journal Article · Sun Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1897/06-003.1· OSTI ID:20939620

Chai, Y Z; Kochetkov, A; Reible, D D ^[1]

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1. University of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

Physical separations were employed to characterize the source of desorption-resistant behavior for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in laboratory- and field-contaminated sediments. Size and density separation of laboratory-contaminated sediments did not effectively separate the amorphous-phase (volatile) and condensed-phase (nonvolatile) organic carbon as measured by thermal oxidation at 375 {sup o}C. These separations also did not result in sediment fractions with significantly different desorption characteristics as measured by apparent partition coefficients. Coarse particles from a field-contaminated sediment from Utica Harbor (UH; Utica, NY, USA), however, could be directly separated into sandy fractions and organic fractions that were composed of woody organic matter, charcoal or charred vegetative matter, and coal-like and coal-cinder particles. Chemical analysis showed that coal-like (glassy, nonporous) and coal-cinder (porous, sintered) particles exhibited very high PAH concentrations and high apparent partition coefficients. These particles also exhibited significantly higher condensed-phase (nonvolatile) organic carbon contents as defined by thermal oxidation at 375{sup o}C. The apparent partition coefficients of PAHs in the coal-cinder particles were a good indication of the apparent partition coefficients in the desorption-resistant fraction of UH sediment, indicating that the coarse particles provided a reasonable characterization of the desorption-resistance phenomena in these sediments even though the coarse fractions represented less than 25% of the organic carbon in the whole sediment.

• OSTI ID: 20939620
• Journal Information: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Journal Name: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 26; ISSN ETOCDK; ISSN 0730-7268
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CARBON
COAL
DESORPTION
INHIBITION
ORGANIC MATTER
PARTICLES
PARTITION
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
SEDIMENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES